At the heart of the liturgy for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the Rulership of God, King or Sovereign (as identified in our new Mahzor) of all Kings/Sovereigns. To be Sovereign of all sovereigns is to indicate that whatever human rulers we have, they are not God! In accepting that parameter, we are given guidelines of how a ruler is to lead, and it is different and more enlightened than most sovereigns we can identify in human history.

One clue is the mandate in the book of Deuteronomy that if and when Israel is to choose a king (remember, as great as Moses was, he was not king, but partner in service with God), he is not to be focused on his own interests or the allure of power. Most significantly he is to write his own Torah and to see that he reviews it with the people on a yearly basis. Such accountability is only the beginning of what we learn when we turn to the Sovereign of all sovereigns as our ultimate role model of leadership.

Unlike earthly rulers, God accommodates all subjects and their inclinations to such a degree as to allow people to choose whether or not God even exists, let alone imposes on them in the kinds of ways human rulers do.

During the Days of Awe, I will be focusing on the insights and teachings of Rabbi Donniel Hartman, the second generation (following on the leadership of his father, Rabbi David Hartman) head of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem; it is an Orthodox-based school for rabbis and students that teaches inclusion of all Jewish backgrounds with a goal of developing insights that can move Israel closer to peace in the Middle East.

Hartman’s book has a title that sounds heretical yet posits values of God that are at the core of Jewish purpose and meaning in its highest sense: Putting God Second. The assertion of the book is that God’s mandate is for us to focus on blessings and wellness and fairness and ethical behavior in all aspects of life that benefits people. We are to do that as a higher priority than whatever focus and honor we might think we are obligated to do in terms of honoring and worshiping our Creator.

Hartman maintains that the problems people have with connecting with God are not inherent with God but with how religious leaders interpret our responsibility to God. In so many cases, both in Judaism and in virtually all religious traditions, the religious leadership act “holier than thou” in their assumption that their tradition’s way is what God desires and that their path is the true one.

The controversial title, Putting God Second, reflects Hartman’s premise that God did not put us in this world to glorify God but to use all our abilities to bring ethical behavior into the world of humankind and to focus on doing right and well with people of all backgrounds and traditions. Instead of pitting one tradition or religion against another, in presuming one is more God’s will than another, it is about understanding that Shalom reveals a world where all the different parts fit together in a wholeness that unifies God.

It is only by putting God second and the needs of humanity first that paradoxically God is honored in the way God anticipates and desires in having created this physical realm. That is the meaning of our reading the words of Isaiah on Yom Kippur day emphasizing that more important than the rituals of prayer and fasting are the purpose behind doing so: to remember to help people that are vulnerable in feeding, clothing and sheltering them.

These insights that are at the heart of the Days of Awe both allow us to better appreciate what it means to embrace God as Sovereign of all sovereigns and also to value the timing of such teachings given the election that awaits us next month. The purpose of our teachings is to remind us to elect people that will more closely reflect God’s modelling of leadership: putting others first and using their power to be of benefit to all who live in the society that they rule.

Given how dysfunctional government has become, both on a national (and international) level, as well as in many local communities, these are days to reflect on the meaning of our lives and the choices we make. We must choose between pursuit of self-interest and what measures we can take to benefit others. Hartman’s insights teach God’s priorities for us to transform how we think in terms of responsibility and decisions we make in terms of benefitting others.

I look forward to exploring with you the ramifications of Putting God Second in a world where human rulers all too often put themselves, and their adherents, first, to the detriment of all others that they rule.

Due to Judaism’s calendar revolving around the lunar cycle, times for our holidays always fluctuate when compared to the secular calendar.

This year the Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) are relatively late, starting the eve of October 2nd. However, in the Jewish calendar, preparation for the Days of Awe always begins a month in advance, in the month of Elul. During Elul, each day, except Shabbat, the Shofar is sounded in the morning to serve to awaken us in preparation for these precious days of transformation. Typically, this month of Elul is left to each of us, on our own, to turn within in reflection that is symbolic of how significant this period is.

This year, we have reason to pause as a community, in such preparation, because the Days of Awe at B’nai Israel will truly be unique, due to the arrival of a new Mahzor (the name of the prayer book used during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), produced a couple of years ago.

To celebrate and prepare for this new prayer book, we are holding a special half day retreat which I hope you will put in your calendar and plan to attend: Sunday, September 25, at 10:45 AM. From 10:45 until 3 PM, we will prepare for the holidays through the lens of this new Mahzor that promises to make our services this year, and for years to come, greatly enhanced and deeply inspiring, for a variety of reasons. At this retreat, to be held in our newly enhanced and refurbished courtyard, with lunch provided, you will have an opportunity to discover a book that will enrich our prayer experience in a number of ways: new translations that bring alive the values and meaning of the holiday; significantly expanded transliteration of most of the prayers we sing for those not comfortable with Hebrew; wording that is gender neutral with imagery more suitable to our times; inspiring commentaries and interpretations that will engage participants as they go through the services; and an overall user-friendly prayer book, designed to make the experience special in ways we have not known in the past.

Part of the morning/early afternoon will provide opportunities for people to choose, if they like, to adopt one or more of these Mahzorim, with donations for them that will include dedicating them to loved ones, either celebrating them in life or honoring those no longer with us. Plans are to create a special book plate with space for a sentence or two, describing qualities/attributes of those you want to honor, so that, years hence, people will know who these people are/were, especially to you who choose to honor them in this special way.

The new Mahzor will provide a context for our visit on September 25 to prepare, in a meaningful way, for the Days of Awe that begin a week later; in so doing, we will bring alive the power and impact of the month of Elul, helping us to become ready for wonderful changes in our lives, and in the energy and participation level of our community.

I hope you will choose to make a donation in some multiple of “Chai” (“18”, symbolic of life) that will connect you to this experience in a long standing meaningful way, while helping CBI, with the funding that will assure our strength as community for the coming year.

One of the reasons we have books to “adopt” is thanks to the generous donation of an anonymous donor, along with a number of members who gave generously, so that we were able to acquire these new Mahzorim.

I look forward to this special retreat with all of you, as we introduce you to Mahzor Lev Shalem and its promise for a renewed and invigorating welcome to the Days of Awe and this new year 5777 with anticipation of many blessed years that await us for celebrating these Holy Days with new energy and special times, as we continue to grow our remarkable CBI community.